Björnska in the Maia Song Contest 18

Björnska will participate in the Maia Song Contest 18 with the entry internally selected by Øén, following last edition's success. This will be the third time the broadcaster has taken the role of national broadcaster, following financial difficulties within BTV. The entry was revealed on 11 May 2018 as "Back to Church" performed by Alyson Stoner.

Background
Prior to #18, Björnska had competed seventeen times since its debut in the first edition. Although the country has not yet won the contest, its best placement came in Maia Song Contest 2 when Five Knives was the runner-up with their song "Savages". The country's worst placement came in the twelfth edition when Matt Wills' song "Set You Free" failed to qualify, placing seventeenth in the second semi-final that year. That occasion marks one of only two editions wherein the country failed to make the final, the only other occasion being in #15 when Paloma Faith placed thirteenth in the second semi-final with "Crybaby".

Internal selection
Øén was confirmed as the broadcaster that would select the Björnsk entry once again, announcing that they internally select the participant following previous success. The entry was announced to be revealed on 11 May 2018 on The Kim Chi Show.

The entry, "Back to Church" by Alyson Stoner, was revealed at midnight on 11 May 2018 on The Kim Chi Show, with additional broadcasts of the song on BTV2, Slay TV, as well as numerous radio stations. It was immediately received with positive reception on social media due to the song's positive message of inclusivity and LGBT references. National bookmakers and musical critics also responded very well, acknowledging the song's credibility and stating their belief that it would be popular at the Maia Song Contest. The song received an approval rating of 92%, slightly higher than last year's entry.

At Maia Song Contest
According to contest rules, all countries must qualify through one of two semi-finals in order to compete in the grand final - with the exception of the "Big Six" (host nation + five highest-scoring entries in the previous edition). As Björnska fulfils neither of these criteria, the Björnsk participant will compete in one of two semi-finals. It is expected that countries will be allocated to a semi-final using voting patterns from previous editions, in which case, a special semi-final allocation draw will be held in the host nation to do so.

All three shows will be broadcast live on Øén 1.

Voting
Voting during the three shows consisted of a 50/50 combination of televoting and the votes from a national, professional jury. The jury will consist of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency. This jury will be asked to judge each contestant based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury can be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.

The following five members comprised the Björnsk jury:


 * Kelsey Byrne – Chairperson – singer-songwriter, also known as Vérité
 * Göran Anderberg – dance choreographer
 * Porter Robinson – singer, producer, represented Björnska in Maia Song Contest 17
 * Topi Latukka – lead vocalist of Softengine, who placed third in Björnskfestivalen 8
 * Xena Celtísdóttir – transgender activist, fashion designer, journalist

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Björnska and awarded by Björnska in the second semi-final and grand final of the contest,